Deciding Without Thinking: Intuitive Intelligence
“When we make small decisions, it is best to analyze the pros and cons. For vital subjects, the decision must come from the unconscious, from a remote place in our interior. ”
(Sigmund Freud)
You may have been told many times that you do not think before you speak or make a decision, as if it is inherently a bad thing.
However, it can be a quality if you learn to use intuitive intelligence.
Until recently, we didn’t really have any knowledge of intelligence, and we just knew, for example, that we had the ability to solve logical problems.
But, at one point in human history, a theory arose that surprised everyone: the theory of multiple intelligences.
This concept has a fairly large dimension today, and is enriched day by day.
This means that scientists have realized that human beings have many more abilities, or intelligences, than are required to solve an equation or construct sentences.
Recently, a lot of work has been done on intuitive intelligence. This theory refers to the way we make our decisions in our day to day life.
As Freud said in the quote we shared with you at the beginning of this article, the really important decisions in our life, in connection with our relationship or our job for example, must be governed by natural needs, by our intuitions.
This means that if we are based on intuition and not on thought, if we take theory and not practice into account, and if we put aside the fears or insecurities that rule us, there is nothing we can do about it. to be wrong in our decisions.
We often turn a deaf ear to the emotions that arise deep within our being, because we prefer to do what our reason tells us.
Why would the mind always be right? Is it possible that the heart is not mistaken?
Intuitive intelligence: thinking with your feelings
The theory of multiple intelligences was born thanks to the work of a sociologist of Canadian origin, called Malcolm Gladwell.
He asserts that men and women have the ability to apply some of their senses to given situations, and to rely on their experiences, often fleeting and subjective, to make decisions.
The human being would be able to determine, in a very short time, the most important choice to make. It is intuitive intelligence.
If we use it in our everyday life, we will be able to solve problems and make decisions quickly. This concept challenges all of our traditional ideas about the capabilities of our brain.
Since we were children, we have been taught that to make decisions we have to think carefully, that “the night brings advice”, or that it is better to wait a few days before making a final choice.
Unlike what we have been doing until now (quietly taking decisions, weighing the pros and cons), this sociologist invites us to decide without thinking as much.
He thinks it’s best to make decisions based on our emotions and experiences, rather than our rationalism and any concepts we may have learned.
Having the maximum amount of data is not always good for making a decision.
We’re likely to analyze things 20 times, research information, ask others, do an investigation, or retire to the countryside to think it over, but all of this does not guarantee our success.
According to intuitive intelligence theory, time and deep analysis can fool us, or even completely annoy us. It is then possible to make the wrong decision because the brain is the victim of an “unblocking”.
We could think of our brain as a computer. What if you open different windows and launch dozens of tasks at the same time? Your computer is slowing down, and there may be a bug.
This is exactly what can happen with our brain when it receives too much information, or is put under too much pressure.
Another example that can help you understand the theory of intuitive intelligence is the urge to eat sweet food.
When this urge arises, we go to the stores and we can spend hours choosing which sweetness we are going to be able to devour.
Conversely, if we don’t go to the store, opt to see what’s in the fridge, and there are only two choices available, the final decision will be much faster.
To be able to practice the principles of intuitive intelligence, you must be willing to have a more open mind, able to read the messages and signals sent by feelings. Try, from time to time, to let yourself be carried away by them.
